Bege's face was devoid of expression, a chilling aura radiating from his body. As he looked at the corpses of Riki, Sam, and the others on the ground, the coldness intensified, stirring the very earth around him until it began to crack. A fierce wind kicked up, sending dust and sand swirling into the sky.
Whitebeard and his crew walked over. Hiding behind the crowd, Blackbeard Teach peeked through, his gaze falling on Bege with a mixture of apprehension and killing intent.
This guy is terrifying. He actually defeated the Demon Lord of Fear and even survived an encounter with Garp.
It's fine, it's fine, Teach reassured himself. Once I find the most powerful Devil Fruit, I'll have what it takes to defeat him.
Whitebeard's expression was grave. "Demon Dragon brat," he said in a deep voice, "you've won this battle. Congratulations on replacing Andrew and becoming a new ruler of the New World."
"Riki and the others didn't have to die," Bege said, his face frighteningly dark. "Damn the Marines, damn the World Government, for making me lose so many of my men."
He took a deep breath. The swirling dust storm rushed into the distance before losing its momentum and settling back to the ground. He looked at Whitebeard and said solemnly, "Thank you for this. I will remember this debt. If the day ever comes when the Whitebeard Pirates are in crisis, I will not stand by and watch. I will definitely come to repay you."
Whitebeard slammed his naginata into the ground and crossed his arms, letting out a booming laugh. "Kuhahaha! Brat, I didn't come here to save you so you could owe me a favor. Besides, as long as I'm around, the Whitebeard Pirates will never fall into crisis."
"Don't be too confident. A tall tree catches the most wind," Bege said calmly. "I'm a living example. If the World Government wants to control the seas, they have to make an example of someone. The Whitebeard Pirates are the strongest crew on the seas right now, which naturally makes you their primary target."
"Hey, hey, Demon Dragon, we came to save you, and this is how you thank us? By cursing us?" Marco said, annoyed.
"It's not a curse; I'm stating a fact. But don't worry. If the Whitebeard Pirates are ever in trouble, the Fire Tank Pirates will definitely come to your aid," Bege said.
Whitebeard laughed again. "Alright, then. I'll accept your offer. The war is over, and it's time for me to go."
He pulled his naginata from the ground but turned back before leaving. "Let me tell you one more thing. Conquering a territory is easy; holding it is the hard part. The Fear Pirates' territory is a juicy prize. After this battle, I expect every major power in the New World will want a piece of the pie. You'd better be prepared."
With that, he turned and left with the members of the Whitebeard Pirates.
"I paid for this territory with the lives of so many of my men," Bege said, his fists clenching as his face twisted into a snarl. "Anyone who dares to touch it, I'll annihilate them."
His face suddenly went pale, and he swayed for a moment before steadying himself. The long battle had taken a massive toll on him, and he was now extremely weak.
He had been putting on a brave front for Whitebeard, but now there was no need to hide it. A wave of exhaustion washed over him.
"Go see if the ships can still fly. We're preparing to head back," Bege said in a low voice to his remaining crew. The castle inside his body had been reduced to ruins, and all the spare ships within had been destroyed.
The crew members who could still move began to search for the ships. The battle had been too intense, and the entire island of Fear had been torn apart. Their thirteen warships had also been caught in the shockwaves, and it was uncertain if any were still intact.
Fortunately, half of the thirteen ships were still capable of flight. The Sky God, thanks to its exceptionally sturdy hull, had not sustained much damage and was mostly unharmed.
Bege and his crew carried the bodies of their fallen comrades onto the ships and took to the sky.
On a ruined section of Fear Island, Doflamingo watched the departing ships, his expression unreadable.
He and his crew had been watching the live broadcast from a nearby island, but the battle had destroyed the Den Den Mushi, cutting off the signal. Doflamingo had then come directly to Fear Island to watch the fight up close.
He wasn't the only one. Many fearless reporters had also secretly landed on the island, using their Den Den Mushi to broadcast live, take pictures, and get the latest scoop.
Just as Bege and his crew left, the results of the great battle on Fear Island were transmitted to major news outlets around the world. Every agency rushed to report the outcome of the war for supremacy to the entire world.
Not long after Bege's departure, the Beasts Pirates rushed to Fear Island, only to find it shattered into pieces.
Kaido let out a furious roar and stomped his foot, shattering the broken ground even further. "Damn you, Red-Hair, you made me miss a great battle! And that old fool Andrew, getting his throne snatched by a little brat. Shameful, absolutely shameful!"
"Captain, what should we do now?" Jack asked.
"Notify the fleet to enter the Demon Lord of Fear's territory. We're taking it over," Kaido grunted.
"Yes, sir!" Jack said, his excitement palpable as he immediately picked up a Den Den Mushi and started making calls.
At the same time, Big Mom also landed on Fear Island, running right into Kaido.
"Kaido, long time no see. You're here too," Big Mom said with a grin.
Steam snorted from Kaido's nostrils. He looked at Big Mom with annoyance. "What are you doing here? This is my territory now."
"Kaido, you're as unreasonable as ever. Andrew's territory is a big cake. You can't possibly eat it all by yourself," Big Mom said with a cold snort.
"Who says I can't? Anyone who touches my stuff, I'll kill them," Kaido growled, a tyrannical aura blasting out from him like a gale, forcing Big Mom's crew members back several steps.
Big Mom's face darkened, and she unleashed her own terrifying aura. The two powerful presences clashed violently, and dark red lightning crackled between them.
"Kaido, you still owe me a huge favor. How about you repay it now? Give me Andrew's territory," Big Mom said calmly.
Kaido's face contorted with rage, and the deep, ocean-like aura around him intensified. His large, bell-like eyes stared at Big Mom. "That's ancient history. Don't bring it up again. Andrew's territory is mine, and no one is taking it from me."
When they were young, Kaido and Big Mom had been comrades on the same pirate ship. The crew they had served under was called the Rocks Pirates. Over forty years ago, they were the most powerful pirate crew on the seas, without any rivals. Not even the Marines could defeat them.
The captain of the Rocks Pirates, Rocks, was essentially the Pirate King of the generation before the last, and his strength was beyond imagination.
Back then, Kaido and Big Mom had rampaged across the seas together for many years. They had even had a romantic relationship.
Later, the Rocks Pirates were ambushed and defeated by the Marines, after which they disbanded. Only then did the two go their separate ways and form their own crews.
Big Mom's expression grew grim. The sun homie Prometheus and the thundercloud homie Zeus above her head suddenly swelled to an immense size, crackling with fire and lightning.
"Then we'll just have to wait and see who gets the last laugh," Big Mom said, turning to leave with a cackle.
"Hmph. If you want a fight, I'm not afraid of you," Kaido snorted.
"Jack, tell King to bring all our main forces here. I'm taking this territory, no matter what."